Sibling Rivalry
by Topcard
Summary: An old enemy. An evil alliance. A battle destined to burn in flames between two sisters. The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. It will take everything they've got to win this fight. Will good prevail?
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. That was all that could be seen in the massive room. Darkness, and a glowing red light. It was a small light, but it was definitely there. It seemed to beckon to the woman who had just entered like a siren's song. It whispered innocence and yet screamed power at the same time. And if there was one thing this woman couldn't resist, it was power.

The figure slowly approached the redness, making sure there was no one around to interfere with her plan. It was odd for such a large building to have no one around, especially in the city of Paris. No matter. It was for the best that no one would see what she was about to do.

The lady finally reached the light, which was attached to a large control board. The mechanics were foreign to her, but she did not worry. It was a good thing she ran into that skinny kid earlier, otherwise she wouldn't be able to read the French instructions.

It was at this moment that she noticed them. The wide array of figures in the collection. Some of Earth's strongest (and some of Earth's lamest) villains, all frozen in time. They all stood there, fear and defeat etched into their faces. Whatever had transpired must've been a crushing defeat for them. So it was true. The woman's sources proved to be reliable, concerning this, at least.

The woman took her time as she perused through the options of criminals at her hands. This one was too fat. That one didn't look threatening at all. And was that a… brain? Talk about brain freeze.

She seemed rather disappointed by the group. If these were Earth's mightiest villains, it was no wonder they lost their final battle. The woman rolled her eyes, then spotted something that caught her attention. A group of men, four at least, frozen together. They didn't look any better than the criminals around them. Heck, they actually looked pathetic in comparison. And yet the woman smiled. They were exactly what she needed.

She turned to the control board and spotted the button she needed. She pressed it, and the conveyor belt underneath the villains sputtered to life. It dragged the group of four underneath a large piece of machinery. The woman smiled and pushed another button. Almost instantly the men were unfrozen, showing no signs of ever being so in the first place. They fell flat on their faces, shivering.

"Th-those razem-frazem Titans are gonna pay!" the small one yapped while sitting up.

"Hey, wait… What happened?" the big one in black asked, finally taking note of his surroundings. The others looked around and remembered. One minute they were knocked out by a flash of pink light, and now… this. What happened, indeed?

"You've been gone for a long time. Things are bound to be different," the woman said. The four men all looked up at her in confusion.

"Well, shoot, lady, who the heck are you?" the one in red asked, getting agreement from the quiet man sitting beside him. The woman brought her face out of the shadows. The men did not recognize her. Actually, they initially thought she was someone else. They stood up, ready to fight.

"H.I.V.E Five, eat her alive!" the little one ordered. The four were about to attack, but the woman held out her hand. It began glowing, as did her eyes. Before the bunch could react, they were blasted across the room. The woman chuckled as she floated to the disgraced group. They were definitely seeing stars now.

The men clumsily stood back up. They all cowered as their savior/attacker approached them. "Have we calmed down?" she asked sarcastically. The four nodded quickly. This pleased the female, who grinned toothily at her new assistants.

"Well then, maybe you tough fellas can show a girl to a good time. I hear Jump City is all the rage these days."

The H.I.V.E Five looked at each other in concern, then realized how close they were to vengeance. They, too, smiled menacingly.

"The Titans won't know what hit 'em."


	2. Chapter 2

Jump City, a town of wonder and mystery. If you could make it here… good for you. It was such a magnificent place. When it wasn't under attack, that is. You see, Jump City was home to some of the most dangerous crooks in the entire planet. Most were defeated in an epic struggle, but there were the select few who remained in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

But they would never succeed, not with the Teen Titans on the job. Five young heroes, each gifted in their own right, joined together for the sole purpose of protecting the innocent. With the Titans on the job, the city had nothing to fear.

"Who took all my turkey and switched it with this TOFU GARBAGE?!"

*Sigh* Our heroes, folks.

Cyborg slammed the refrigerator shut, fuming with rage. In the main room, a thin, green boy was trying to make his escape. He opened the door, snickering to himself, but the bigger hero had somehow beaten him there and was waiting for him on the other side. The green one bumped right into him, hurting his own head.

"Beast Boy," Cyborg scolded. "Start talkin'."

Beast Boy stumbled over his words for a moment, then laughed awkwardly, hoping Cyborg would drop it. He didn't, so the shape-shifter had to explain himself. "Aw, come on, Cyborg!" he pleaded; "I'm sure if you _try_ the stuff, you'll come to like it."

Beast Boy gave a large, reassuring grin, followed by a thumbs up. Cyborg stared at him blandly. "Don't think so," he replied lamely. The two then went through their usual motions of meat versus tofu. The noise was enough to force a certain young woman to put down her book in annoyance.

"I'm trying to read. Can't you two argue someplace else?" Raven asked in her usual monotone. The two bickering boys turned to look at her. They seemed confused at first, then went on with their argument as if they didn't hear anything. Raven rolled her eyes and attempted to continue reading. Of course, it was all in vain. "Quiet!" she yelled, surprising even herself.

"Well, excuuuse me, princess," Beast Boy retorted. Raven gave him a cold glare.

"DON'T call me princess."

Thus began a three-way argument for the record books. There seemed to be no end in sight when the doors opened and in walked Robin and Starfire, mid-conversation.

"…and that is the secret to breathing in outer space," the Tamaranian concluded. The two stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing their bickering teammates.

"Is a little peace and quiet too much to ask for?!"

"Yeah, and turkey!"

Knowing things could only get worse, Robin jumped in between the three and forced them to their own corners. "Calm down, guys! Take it easy!" he ordered.

"My friends, why must we argue on such a glorious day?" Starfire asked. "We are all the best buds, yes? And best buds must never fight, lest it happens."

They all knew what _it_ was. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven all looked down in shame. How silly they must've looked just then, fighting like children. They all solemnly apologized to each other. "That's better," Robin noted; "And Star's right; it is a nice day. So why don't we make the best of it…"

The Titans' faces all perked up in eagerness.

"…and get some training in!" Robin concluded with a smile and a thumbs up. The team sank down, all enthusiasm escaping for the time being. Moments later, they were all outside, preparing for the obstacle course. Beast Boy had volunteered to go first. He could just feel it in his bones that he was going to beat the record today.

"Ready, Beast Boy?" Robin asked from the controls.

"Dude, let's go already!" the shape-shifter cheered. The leader merely shrugged before turning the course on. The hazards sprang to life, each one carrying a newfound hatred of the little green guy. He seemed confident, a tad cocky, even. Beast Boy immediately changed into a cheetah, dashing past all the lasers. His teammates cheered him on.

"Go Beast Boy!" Starfire called out.

"You won't beat my record!" Cyborg added.

Beast Boy ignored that last remark and continued running in his human form. Walls began springing up from the ground. The shape-shifter simply morphed into a hawk and soared above them. He was making good time, coming close to that record. Cyborg was nearly in tears as his friend got closer and closer to the endpoint. Beast Boy turned back into a human and was running the last few yards, a big smirk on his face. He chuckled happily as he reached the end, but his happiness was immediately dashed away when his face met a giant fist, launching him back to his teammates.

"Dude! When did we get _that_ obstacle?" Beast Boy groaned, rubbing his head in pain. The team looked in the direction of the attack and were more than surprised by what they saw.

"It can't be!" Starfire gasped.

"What's the matter, crud-munchers? Surprised to see us?"

Gizmo, being carried by large, mechanical spider legs, made his way to Mammoth, who was cracking his knuckles with content. "Long time, no see," he greeted with a sneer. The Titans just continued staring in shock.

"Didn't we freeze those guys?" Cyborg asked.

"Fight now, questions later," Raven noted, her hands glowing. Robin took his leading stance. "Titans, GO!" he called out. The group was about to attack when they were suddenly ambushed by several men in red. "Hoowee! We got 'em!" one Billy cheered. For a moment, it seemed as if the clones really did subdue the Titans. But that would just be too easy.

The heroes burst out of the dog pile, launching the copies in every direction. The Billies groaned in pain.

"You okay, Billy?" one asked another.

"I'm fine, Billy," the second replied, then turned to the third. "How 'bout you, Billy?"

"My head hurts."

"Will ya stop yapping and start attacking, you snot-faced losers?!" Gizmo barked. The clones scrambled to their feet and charged at the Titans, who were busy fighting Mammoth.

"I don't know how you got out, but your freedom won't last long!" Robin threatened as his staff connected with the giant's face. Mammoth spiraled backwards, clutching his nose. His voice was muffled under his hands, but it almost sounded as if he was sobbing. Robin was about to follow up his strike, but two Billies tackled him. The fight continued on like this, a Titan coming close to beating their enemy, then suddenly pulled away by men in red. It was really annoying!

"Don't we usually have them beat by now?" Raven noted.

"They must've been practicing," Robin remarked.

"Or maybe we have become the lethargic in their absence," Starfire commented.

The Titans shook their heads at this and continued fighting. Gizmo had Cyborg pinned to the ground with the spider legs. "Smile!" the child taunted as he pulled out some type of laser gun from his pack. Cyborg struggled, then suddenly turned calm. He lifted his foot and blasted a rocket from his shoe, sending the impish genius high into the air. "Cruuuuuuuud!" he screeched, but his discomfort soon turned to satisfaction. He fired his laser just as Cyborg stood up. The man was brushing himself off as the blast hit him full force. It sent millions of volts of electricity through his body. He screamed in pain, his lights flickering on and off.

"Cyborg!" Starfire screamed. She was about to assist him when a pair off hands grabbed her from behind. Before she knew it, the Tamaranian was pulled into a portal of some sorts. She fell to the floor on the other side.

"W-where am I?" the girl asked herself. She looked around. This place. It was…familiar, yes? Then it came to her. This was the former location of Slade's terrible base. So many horrible things happened there. How did Starfire end up here of all places?

As if reading her mind, a figure appeared by her side. She turned and recognized the man as Kyd Wykkyd. "Take me back to my friends at once!" the Tamaranian ordered, her eyes glowing green. The villain did not respond, but rather gave a taunting smirk. This angered Starfire, who attempted to punch Kyd Wykkyd. It was no use, as he easily dodged the attack. Wykkyd then pointed forward. Starfire was confused at first, then turned her attention to the spot in question. Needless to say, she was awfully shocked at what she saw. A lone figure was resting in a chair high above them, watching intently.

"Blackfire?!" the Titan asked in a combination of confusion and fear. The figure smiled menacingly.

"Sister. It's so good to see you again."


	3. Chapter 3

Blackfire floated down to her darling, baby sister. So much time had past, and yet it felt like only days since Starfire ended Blackfire's reign over Tamaran.

"It's been far too long," the elder sister stated. She then blasted Starfire across the room. The Titan landed with a great thud, yelping on impact.

Old grudges don't die easily.

Blackfire approached her sister and forced her to her feet. "What's the matter, Starfire? What happened to all that power you had back on Tamaran?" the eldest questioned before tossing her sister into a wall like a rag doll.

Starfire struggled to get back onto her feet. "W-what is the meaning of this Blackfire? Why are you here?!" she demanded.

"Well, since you banished me from our home, I've been in the market for a new planet. And I've always liked this one."

Starfire's hands began glowing a threatening emerald. Blackfire was unfazed.

"You will not harm my home!" the Titan warned. She threw a star bolt at incredible speeds. Blackfire waited patiently, then countered with a star bolt of her own. The purplish-pink energy was far stronger and soon made its way to the unsuspecting Starfire. She once again fell to the ground. Blackfire chuckled at this.

"I've been practicing, little sister. Now I'm stronger than you could ever imagine!"

Starfire stayed on the ground. She couldn't believe it, but Blackfire was telling the truth. She had indeed gained much more strength, without the aid of power-enhancing jewels. Blackfire's smirk grew as she grabbed her sister by the neck.

"The invasion is coming, little sister, and you'll get to witness all its glory."

"We'll stop you."

"I'd like to see you try."

Blackfire released her sister, then turned to her assistant. "Take her back," she ordered. Kyd Wykkyd nodded, then grabbed Starfire. She struggled and attempted to get a shot at her sibling. No use. Wykkyd pulled her into another portal and shoved her back to Titans Tower.

"Retreat!" Gizmo called out. He activated his jetpack and began flying off.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Mammoth called out. He and Billy Numerous grabbed onto Gizmo's legs. The three awkwardly flew off towards the mainland. Beast Boy, who was currently a gorilla, changed back to a human and shook his fist at the villains. "And stay out!" he yelled.

Starfire looked around. Cyborg was fine; whatever that laser did, it must've only been temporary. Everything was fine. Everything was fine…

No, it wasn't. It could only get worse.


	4. Chapter 4

"An INVASION?! Dude! Tell me you're joking!"

"I fear that this is no laughing matter, Beast Boy."

The Titans all sat on the couch, their full attention given to the Tamaranian standing in front of them. They were all understandably shocked at the news. After all, an invasion was not a regular occurrence for them.

"But if you banished Blackfire from your home planet, where would she get an army for the attack?" a reasonable point brought up by Robin.

"I wish I knew. Blackfire is not exactly popular among Tamaran's neighboring planets."

"Maybe she's trying to throw us off," Cyborg suggested. "You know, catch us off guard."

"And do what, exactly? There's no plan more powerful than an invasion," Raven noted. The other Titans nodded in agreement. Whatever Blackfire was planning, it would result with a takeover. Beast Boy stood up.

"Welp, let's go get her," he suggested, marching to the door. Cyborg and Raven stood up and quickly blocked his way. "Where do you think you're going?" the half-robot asked.

"Um… Stopping Blackfire? Duh," Beast Boy answered with a quizzical expression.

"And how exactly are you gonna do that?"

"Come on, Cy! It's five against one!"

"Weren't you listening?" Raven chimed in. "She might have an entire alien army at her side. If we go in unprepared, she could annihilate us."

Beast Boy hadn't considered this. His ears dropped in disappointment as he went back to the couch with a remorseful "Oh."

"So what's the plan, then?" the shape-shifter asked the boss. Robin thought for a moment. "We prepare for the worst," he finally answered. This response seemed to satisfy all, as they nodded in agreement. All except Starfire, that is, who seemed appalled by the answer.

"You suggest we just wait for Blackfire to strike?! We cannot just wait!" she argued.

"Starfire, take it easy."

"No, I will not take it easy; I will take it most difficultly! My sister plans on destroying our home. We cannot just sit around until she makes the first move. By then, it will be to late. Friends, please. We must stop her NOW."

Robin stood up and put his hand on Starfire's shoulder, attempting to calm her down.

"Star, listen to me. I know this is personal for you, but you can't let your emotions cloud your judgment. Believe me, it always ends badly."

A moment of silence. Starfire sighed, then nodded. The other Titans stood. They were about to make their way to the training room when the alarm went off. "And here I thought we might have a quiet evening," Raven lamented dryly. Even in time of crisis, her sarcasm never failed to shine threw.

Robin approached the computer and entered the necessary codes. He read the description and immediately his body went tense.

"What's the problem?" Beast Boy asked.

"Them again," the leader answered.

"Those H.I.V.E guys? Man, they just don't quit!" Cyborg groaned.

"It might just be a distraction. Blackfire throwing us off her scent," Raven warned.

"Maybe, but we're going," Robin said, his voice full of nothing but grave severity. "They have hostages… Titans."


	5. Chapter 5

A little while earlier…

Being the glorious day that it was, it was understandable for so many people to head to the park. Here were two young boys tossing around the ol' pigskin. There was a confident chap manning his trusty barbeque grill. Yes, it was almost a picture perfect scene. It would've been completely perfect had it not been for those two costumed teenagers having a small argument.

"Come on, Jinx, you haven't given me a legitimate reason."

"My reason is because I don't want to. Now go away."

The two kids walked down the path, the boy following without permission. The girl said she didn't want him around, but he _knew_ she actually loved his company. He could tell.

"Maybe next week, then?"

"Don't think so."

They stopped for a moment. The boy's shoulders dropped in desperation. Jinx could see said desperation and smirked. For once, _she_ was in control. It felt good to have power again.

Despite the constant rejection, Kid Flash refused to give up. That just wasn't his style. As the two continued walking, he relentlessly kept asking for that oh-so-coveted first date. Jinx turned down every plea with just as equal relentlessness. It was a strategic game of chess, you see. If either side showed even the slightest glimmer of weakness, they would be torn to shreds. Oh, the youth.

"Alright, Jinx, this is my last offer. Go on a date with me tomorrow, or I'll…"

"You'll do what, exactly?"

Kid Flash paused for a moment and thought about what he should say next. He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "I'll ask someone else," he said with a devilish grin. Jinx stopped dead in her tracks. Did he just say…? Wait, what did she care? It's not like they were a thing or anything. Still…

"Like I said, the answer is no," Jinx finally replied, turning a cold shoulder to Kid Flash. The man looked at her in disbelief, then shrugged. "Okay then. See ya, Jinx," he bid farewell with a smirk. He then took off like a, well, flash, leaving Jinx all alone. The moment he took off, the girl tried to stop him, as if reconsidering her answer. But now he was gone. She kicked some dirt into the air in frustration. "You really blew it this time, Jinx," she grumbled to herself.

"I'll say you did."

Jinx turned around in shock. Kid Flash had returned in the blink of an eye, having been standing there for who knows how long. Jinx was startled, but soon channeled that surprise into anger.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she ordered. Kid Flash shrugged, giving another one of his infamous smiles. "So can I take this as a yes?" he asked. Jinx's anger once again turned into surprise. She backed off a little, looking to the ground for confidence.

"Oh, alright," was the answer.

Kid Flash jumped into the air, delight written all over his face. "Great!" he exclaimed; "I gotta go get some things done. See ya later, Jinx." And with that, he was gone.

Jinx smiled to herself. After all, it couldn't be _that_ bad, right? The woman continued walking, suddenly taking notice of how empty the park had become. Where did everybody go? Oh, well. She needed to get back to her apartment and-

Before she knew it, the sorceress was ambushed by an army of Billies. "Jinx! Long time, no see!" one cheered.

"What the?! Billy?!" Jinx asked, obviously shocked. The Billies cackled as they grabbed the woman by her wrists. She tried to fight for freedom, but there were too many of them. At last the sorceress was able to snap her fingers, creating a pink wave of energy that blasted the clones away. Jinx approached one Billy and grabbed him by his collar. This was the real Billy Numerous, she could tell.

"What's the idea, Billy?! How did-"

She was unable to finish that question, as Mammoth came charging out of the bushes. He grabbed Jinx in a big bear hug and lifted her into the air. "Didn't you miss us, Jinx?" he asked in a rather harsh tone. The woman gasped for air as Mammoth tightened his grip. He chuckled confidently.

All the Billy clones disappeared one-by-one until only the original was left. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled quite loudly. This was Gizmo's cue to join the group, weapon at hand. He approached the still trapped Jinx and gave her an uncomforting grin.

"Gizmo?!" Jinx questioned. "This isn't possible. How did you guys-"

"Quiet, snot face!" Gizmo demanded, having more power than ever before. He pointed his weapon, some sort of Taser, at the girl. "This is for ditching us for those Titan jerks," the genius sneered as the device began buzzing. Sparks began to fly out of the contraption. It was about to fire when Gizmo all of a sudden found himself holding nothing more than a stick.

"What the?!" he asked. His answer came straightaway, as he noticed a teenage boy in yellow leaning on a nearby tree, holding the weapon.

"Kid your age shouldn't be playing with one of these," the teen said. "You'll poke your eye out."

"GET HIM!" Gizmo ordered. Billy multiplied into several copies and charged at Kid Flash. A futile attempt at best. Kid Flash ran circles around the clones, causing them all to be lifted into the air. The Billies were flung far, far away, their shrill screams still heard long after they disappeared from sight.

"You guys just don't learn, do you?" Kid Flash taunted, unaware of the dark-clothed villain appearing right behind him. Kyd Wykkyd pulled out another device and fired it at the hero, shocking him with much electricity. Kid Flash screamed, then fell to the floor.

"Kid Flash!" Jinx called out.

"Quiet!" Mammoth demanded, tightening his grip even more.

Kid Flash lay there on the floor, unable to move. The electricity formed a kind of field around him, causing him much pain. The H.I.V.E Five (excluding Billy, who was fishing himself out of a lake) all stood above the hero, grinning evilly. Gizmo grabbed the weapon out of Kyd Wykkyd's hands.

"Let's kick it up to Level 4."


	6. Chapter 6

"You won't get away with this! They'll-"

A gag was tied over her mouth. Mammoth chuckled eerily. Jinx was powerless there, as was Kid Flash, who was still unconscious. The two hostages were tied back-to-back to their respective chairs. After the gag was placed, Mammoth tied a blindfold over Jinx's eyes. He figured if she couldn't see, she wouldn't be able to aim her powers against them. Of course, he was right. The sorceress couldn't risk toppling over the whole building. In the old days maybe, but not now.

Across the room, Billy Numerous was playing cards with himself, and losing. Once the game was over, the original got rid of the copy and groaned in boredom. "We been waitin' for hours now! I don't think they're comin'," he whined.

"Of course they're coming, snot-brain. They're too goody-goody to ignore this," Gizmo reassured as he made adjustments to his pack. Finally satisfied with his work, he put the thing back on and grinned wide. "And we'll be ready."

"That's what you said earlier, and look what happened," Mammoth reminded the genius. Gizmo just gave him a dirty look, then turned his attention elsewhere. A man of his intelligence had no time to respond to such frivolous thoughts. Mammoth, on the other hand, was still concerned about the matter. He may have been dumb, but he was no idiot.

And so they sat there waiting. Just waiting. They would occasionally look at the clock, but time only taunted the band of miscreants with its slow ticktocking. The tension raised a notch or two. The silence. Oh, the silence. It was screaming at them. Billy could feel the blood in his veins boiling with anxiety. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The silence! So much silence, and just in two minutes!

"Gah! I can't take it anymore!" Numerous wailed. "They ain't comin', I tell ya!"

He would've continued his rant, but a piece of the ceiling slammed him to the ground, and it's somewhat difficult to complain in such a state. The H.I.V.E Five looked up at the source of the roof chunk. There was a newfound hole in the ceiling, five silhouettes staring back down at the villains. "Sorry we're late," one said; "Hope we didn't keep you waiting."

"GET THEM!" Gizmo screamed.

"Titans, GO!" Robin ordered. The heroes jumped into the room. Beast Boy transformed into a mosquito and targeted Mammoth. "Hey! Go away! Shoo!" the villain shrieked as he attempted to swat the nuisance. The mosquito backed off slightly, then turned into a kangaroo. Its body was balanced on its tail, feet facing the foe. "Uh-oh," Mammoth muttered before being kicked into the wall.

As that was happening, Cyborg found himself surrounded by a hoard of Billies, each having a wrench in their hand. "He'll make a pretty lamp, won't he, Billy?" one remarked.

"Do you guys even know how to use those," Cyborg asked sarcastically. The clones were not amused. They charged for the half-robot. The teen pulled out his cannon and fired, taking out a good portion of duplicates. It wasn't enough, though, as three more jumped onto his back. They guffawed as they began messing with Cyborg's wires. "Yo! Get off of me!" the hero demanded. Soon the Billies took control of Cyborg's central nervous system, making him dance a little country jig. "Knock it off!" the victim ordered. The Billies just laughed at him.

The dance of defeat would've gone on longer, but Robin appeared and smashed the clones away with his staff. Soon the two Titans found themselves back-to-back, facing a sea of troublemaking duplicates. They fought with valiant power and were fully capable of holding their own.

At the other side of the room, Raven found herself up against Kyd Wykkyd. The villain disappeared into the ground. Raven took a defensive stance, preparing for a strike from any direction. She was not fully prepared, however, because Wykkyd reappeared behind the woman, she never noticing. At least, he _thought_ she didn't notice, as he was unable to see her eyes glowing with power. As Kyd Wykkyd was about to strike, Raven blocked with a force field and returned the attack with an incredible blast. Wykkyd hit the floor, but refused to stay down. Raven came at him with more dark energy. The two were soon locked in a battle of darkness and shadows, both seeming to be equally matched.

During all this commotion, Starfire had snuck to Jinx and Kid Flash. "Please remain calm. You will be safe in a moment," she assured.

"Mmm-hmm?" Jinx asked through the gag. Starfire paused a moment at this, but then continued with freeing them. She almost had the knot undone when a red beam nearly hit her hand.

"Get away from them!" Gizmo called out. He flew high into the air and was swooping in for a deadly attack. He was getting closer, closer. Gizmo was flying at intense speed. The blasters aimed for the Tamaranian, and…

Starfire caught Gizmo by the metal wing.

"Hey, no fair! Let me go!" the boy complained. Starfire lifted him to eye level. Her expression was so serious, so scary, that if you were to see it, you would probably be just as frightened as Gizmo was.

"I do NOT have time for games," the Titan said rather coldly. She then crushed the wing in her fist, causing sparks to fly. She dropped Gizmo to the ground, who then promptly backed away in fear. The Tamaranian returned her attention to the hostages. She untied them from the chairs and removed Jinx's gag and blindfold. The sorceress scanned the battle with a cold glare. She was not too happy.

"Enough!" Jinx called out, summoning pink waves of energy. The H.I.V.E Five were knocked off their feet, all of them landing in the center of the room. The Titans all stood over them, smug grins on their faces.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Mammoth reminded Gizmo.

"Crud. Time for Plan B."

The child quickly pulled a remote out of his pocket. He pushed a button, and red lights began flashing as an alarm went off. "Ten seconds until this place blows," Gizmo said; "Let's get outta here!"

Kyd Wykkyd created a portal under the H.I.V.E Five, teleporting them far away. The Teen Titans now had to face this situation all by themselves. "Raven!" Robin called out. The girl nodded. Her eyes began glowing. Soon the team was encased in black energy. They were transported about a hundred feet away from the building, which erupted in flames before their very eyes. It was at this time that Kid Flash finally woke up, giving a great big yawn as he did so.

"What I miss?" he asked. No one answered him. They were too focused on the fires dancing before them. Robin shook his head.

"Things are different. Now they're out for blood."


	7. Chapter 7

Their escape was quick, clean. They appeared back at their makeshift base, their tails between their legs. For you see, they would have to explain why the plan had failed. Who among them was brave enough to look their leader in the eye and tell the woeful tale of defeat?

The H.I.V.E Five finally nominated Gizmo for the job, much to his chagrin. He stepped forward to the master's throne and chuckled nervously. The leader raised an eyebrow, a bored expression on her face. Such a look would change to one of anger in a matter of seconds.

"You WHAT?!" Blackfire shouted.

"Well, you see, we, um-"

The Tamaranian did not want to hear excuses. She lifted Gizmo off the ground and gave him a death stare. Sweat began dripping down his forehead, fear clearly taking over his body. It just wasn't a good day for the little boy genius.

"I freed you losers to do one simple task," Blackfire started, "and you couldn't even do that. Give me one good reason I shouldn't blast you to the Sentari moons."

Gizmo went into a frenzy of nervous word-seeking, knowing very well this woman was all too capable of keeping such a promise. The child looked to his team for assistance. They shook their heads, also unable to come up with a good reason. Gizmo was in this all by himself. He gulped, then began speaking.

"Um, w-we can get you a lot of money?" he offered.

"Your Earth currency is useless to me," Blackfire reminded.

"We could try destroying them again?"

The leader glared at him, then encased her free hand with glowing pink energy. Gizmo screamed. His team looked away, unable to witness such a horrible sight.

"Wait, wait!" Gizmo wailed. "We know someone who can help!"

The energy disappeared from Blackfire's hand for the moment. "Oh? And who might that be?" she asked. Gizmo swallowed hard. The H.I.V.E Five had no clue who he was talking about until he finally gave the name. It was unclear what they thought of the plan, but they said nothing, seeing as they had no other option. Blackfire pondered about the information she was just given, then dropped Gizmo to the ground. She smiled.

"Looks like you guys aren't as useless as you look," she said, delight ringing through her voice. "I'll let you live for now. Just bring your little friend to me, and soon. I was never a patient person."

"What about the Titans?" Mammoth asked. Blackfire scoffed at him before giving an answer. "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself," she stated. She then pulled out a strange device, some type of communicator.

"My Queen, what is it that you need?" a voice asked from the device.

"Send over a small grouping of soldiers. There's work to be done."

"As you wish, your Highness."

The line went cold. Blackfire couldn't help but smile at her cunning. She turned to the now cowering H.I.V.E Five and chuckled. "For your sake, you better hope your friend can pull through," she said rather coldly. She walked out of the room, leaving the team in a deadly state of fear and determination.


End file.
